The stories about Pippi Longstocking and her father Efraim, who rules as king over a Pacific island, figure among the most popular works of European children’s literature. But did a Swedish “South Sea king” truly exist? The biography of the Swede Carl Pettersson (1875 – 1937) shows astonishing parallels to the tales in the Pippi books. Based on the life circumstances of Pettersson, his Pacific wife Singdo and their children, the exhibition tells the story of German colonialism in the Pacific in a playful and interactive manner for children and families. It also aims to inspire reflection on how we should deal with colonial world views in classical children‘s books today.

Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, the Hubertus Wald Foundation, the ZEIT Bucerius Foundation, the Hapag-Lloyd Foundation and the Claussen-Simon Foundation.

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